Ironing boards



R. T. HOOD IRONING BOARDS Dec. 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 2,1954 R. T. HOOD IRONING BOARDS Dec. 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb.2, 1954 United States Patent O IRONING BOARDS Robert Turner Hood, CastleBromwich, near Birmingham, England, assigner to Bradley and CompanyLimited, Mount Pleasant, Bilston, England, a British company ApplicationFebruary 2, 1954, Serial No. 407,765

4 Claims. (Cl. 38-121) This invention relates to an improved ironingboard of the kind incorporating a pair of pivotally interconnected legstructures, one of which is pivotally connected to the underside of theboard whilst the other is connected to a slide which is capable of asliding movement within guides on the underside of the board and whereinthe two leg structures may be folded into sub stantially parallelabutment with the underside of the board.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved ironingboard of this kind incorporating means for positively locating the slideat various positions rela* tive to the guides so as to admit of variableheight settings of the board and to provide simple and etfective meansfor unlocking the slide and means for preventing the legs beingcollapsed into substantial abutment with the board whilst the board isstanding upon the legs, thereby obviating the attendant risk of the`user trapping his or her fingers.

The invention consists of an ironing board of the kind referred tocharacterised in that the slide carries a detent which is spring urgedinto the contact with an apertured rack bar which is fixed relative tothe board and by a release catch extending over the apertures in therack bar whereby the detent can be removed or prevented frorn engagementwith apertures in the rack bar.

A convenient embodiment of the present invention will now be describedwith particular reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan from below of an ironing board in accordance with thepresent invention shown in the collapsed position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the board, the section beingtaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is also a sectional side elevation of the same board, but shownin an operable position, the section being taken on the line 3 3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the slide and associated parts removedfrom the remainder of the board and seen from above, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the release catch, the sectionbeing taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The board 1@ is formed of apertured metal and secured to the undersidethereof adjacent the one end is a bracket 11 within which is pivotedwhat will hereinafter be termed the rear ieg structure. This rear legstructure is formed by two parallel tubes 12 which are welded at theirlower ends to `a transverse tube 13 which is adapted to rest upon thelioor and to form a foot. The ends of this foot extending beyond theparallel tubes 12, are furnished with anti-friction pads in the form ofrubber cups 1d. The ripper end of these two tubes 12 are interconnectedby means of a transverse pin 15 which extend through the tubes 12 and islocated within the bracket 11, the transverse pin 15 having a spacingsleeve 16 disposed around it between the two tubes. Intermediate theends of the rear leg structure, this structure is pivotallyinterconnected with the forward leg structure ICC which is formed by apair of parallel tubes 17 but these are spaced apart by a greaterdistance than the tubes 12 so that the tubes 12 of the rear legstructure may lie between the tubes 17. The pivotal interconnection ofthe two leg structures takes the form of a transverse pin 18 whichpasses through all four tubes 12 and 17, the tubes being spaced apart bysleeves 19 surrounding this pin. The foot of the front leg structure issimilar to that of the foot of the rear leg structure and comprisestransverse tube 20 with anti-friction pads 21. The two parallel tubes 17of the front leg structure are flattened and welded at their upper endto a transverse pin 22 the ends of which extend beyond the tubes and arelocated within a pair of oppositely directed channels 23 secured to theunder side of the board 10 and forming guides within which thistransverse pin 22 may slide longitudinally relative to the board.Mounted between the transverse pin 22 and the under side of the board1t) is a spring loaded plate 24 which together with the transverse pin22 forms the slide. This spring loaded plate 24 is spring urged in onedirection about the transverse pin 22 by means of a coiled compressionspring 25 disposed between its rearward end and a skid 26 engaging theedge of a downwardly directed angle bar 27 forming a stiffener of theboard 10, this skid 26 being pivotally connected -to the spring loadedplate 24 by means of integral tongues on the skid which engage slots onthe plate. The forward end of the spring loaded plate 2d is furnished atboth sides with an integral upwardly directed tongue 28 which forms adetent which is adapted to enter any one of a plurality of apertures 29formed in the upper and longer wall of each channel of the guides 23. Itwill be understood that due to the spring `loading of the plate 24 thedetents 28 are spring loaded into engagement with these apertured wallsof `the guides 23 which form rack bars and the detents 23 are so shapedthat during the movement of the legs from the collapsed position inadjacency with the under side of the board as seen in Fig. 2 to anoperable position as seen in Pig. 3, the detents 28 on the spring loadedplate can slide over the apertures 29 but a reverse or closing motion ofthe legs is prevented. The plate 24 is located relative to thetransverse pin 22 and associated front leg structure by virtue of thefact that the pin 22 projects at each end through a gap formed in adownwardly directed peripheral flange 30 on the plate .2d and the saidgap is held in engagement with the pin 22 by virtue of the springloading of the plate 24.

In order to effect a release of the detents from their associated rackbars there is provided a release catch which takes the form of a doublycranked plate 31 which is rockably mounted upon one of the channels 23of the guides. This plate has in its intermediate portion a pair ofapertures which engage freely upon outwardly directed pins 32 on thechannel 23 and the plate is retained in position by coil compressionsprings 33 located between it and nuts 34 on the free ends of said pins32. The one portion 31a of this release catch extends over all theapertures 29 in the one rack bar and is normally disposed by means ofits spring loading 32 in a position well above the rack bar so as toadmit of the detents 28 associated with this rack bar entering theapertures 29, whilst the opposite edge extends below the board toadjacent the one marginal side thereof. The portion 31a of the releasecatch which extends above the apertures 29 in the rack bar is formedwith protuberances 35 pressed out from the lower face and correspondingin size to the apertures 29 in the rack bar so that,l when the releasecatch is manually rocked against its spring loading these protuberances3S which are of substantially the same size `as the apertures 29 enterthe said apertures and release the detent 28 from an aperture with whichit is engaged or, alternatively, prevent its engagement with any one ofthe apertures, it being appreciated that a corresponding disengagementof the detent 28 associated with the other rack bar will take placesince both detcnts are on the same spring loaded plate 24.

Due to the plurality of apertures 29 in the rack bars it will beunderstood that a plurality of angular settings of the leg structuresrelative to one another can be obtained thereby providing for a numberof different heights of the board 10 to suit the requirements ofdifferent individuals. When it is desired to collapse the board from anoperational position the release catch can be operated and the boardpressed downwardly. If this is done to such an extent that the legstructures are substantially in contact with the under face of the board1t), there is a risk that the fingers of the operator may become trappedd to prevent this contingency there is provided a gr catch 36 which isfreely pivoted by a tongue and slot hinge to the plate 24 and carries aprojection 37 which when the board is in its operational position restsupon an upturned tlange 2.3a of the one guide 23. This flange 23a isprovided with a notch 23h into which the projection 37l will fall tolimit the collapsing motion of the leg structures until the board isturned upon one end to remove the gravity catch 36 from engagement dueto the angular position of the board. lt is thus essential that aftercollapsing the legs to a predetermined degree the board must be turnedupon one end before the legs are moved into substantial contact with theunder face of the board. When the board is resting upon this end thenthe gravity catch will hang in a position in which the projection 37 isout of engagement with the notch 23b to permit complete collapsing ofthe board.

I claim:

1. The combination of a flat ironing board member of sheet metal, havingdownturned llanges along its sides, a bracket fixed to the underside ofsaid board member, an elongated rear leg structure pivoted to saidbracket on a nonshifting axis positioned beneath said board member, anelongated front leg structure, said rear and front leg structures beingpivoted to each other intermediate their ends in scissors-fashion, apair of channel members constituting guide means tixed to the undersideof said board member, a pin mounted at one end of said front legstructure, the ends of said pin forming projections which are carried bysaid front leg structure and are slidable along said guide means, saidguide means being provided with a series of apertures extendinglongitudinally of said guide means, a spring loaded catch pivoted to andcarried by said projections and carrying a detent adapted to engage insaid apertures thereby constituting means to arrest said projections inselected positions along said guide means and a manually tiltable platelying along said guide means and extending `therefrom toward the side ofsaid board member, said plate being equipped with prol tuberancesadapted to enter said apertures in opposition to said detent and thusconstitute means to disable the means to arrest said projections,whereby said rear and front leg structures may be folded against saidboard member.

2. The combination of a flat ironing board member of sheet metal, anelongated rear leg structure pivoted on a nonshifting axis positionedbeneath said board member, an elongated front leg structure, said rearand front leg structures being pivoted to each other intermediate theirends in scissors-fashion, a pair of channel members constituting guidemeans fixed to the underside of said board member, a pin mounted at oneend of said front leg structure, the ends of said pin formingprojections which are carried by said front leg structure and areslidable -along said guide means, said guide means being provided with aseries of apertures extending longitudinally of said guide means, aspring loaded catch pivoted to and carried by said projections andcarrying a detent adapted to engage in said apertures therebyconstituting means to arrest said projections in selected positionsalong said guide means and a manually tiltable plate lying along saidguide means and extending therefrom toward the side of said boardmember, said plate being equipped with protuberances adapted to entersaid apertures in opposition to said detent and thus constitute means todisable the means to arrest said projections, whereby said rear andfront leg structures may be folded against said board member.

3. The combination of a flat ironing board member of sheet metal, anelongated rear leg structure pivoted on a nonshifting axis positionedbeneath said board member, an elongated front leg structure, said rearand front leg structures being pivoted to each other intermediate theirends in scissors-fashion, guide means fixed to the underside of saidboard member, projections which are carried by said front leg structureand are slidable along said guide means, said guide means being providedwith a series of apertures extending longitudinally of said guide means,a spring loaded catch pivoted to and carried by said projections andcarrying a detent adapted to engage in said apertures therebyconstituting means to arrest said projections in selected positionsalong said guide means and a manually tiltable plate lying along saidguide means and extending therefrom toward the side of said boardmember, said plate being equipped with protuberances adapted to entersaid apertures in opposition to said detent and thus constitute means todisable the means to arrest said projections, whereby said rear andfront leg structures may be folded against said board member.

4. The combination of a at ironing board member of sheet metal, anelongated rear leg structure pivoted on a nonshifting axis positionedbeneath said board member, an elongated front leg structure, said rearand front leg structures being pivoted to each other intermediate theirends in scissors-fashion, guide means fixed to the underside of saidboard member, projections which are carried by said front leg structureand are slidable along said guide means, said guide means being providedwith a series of spaced apertures extending longitudinally of said guidemeans, spring loaded catch pivoted to and carried by said projectionsand carrying a detent adapted to engage in said apertures therebyconstituting means to arrest said projections in selected positionsalong said guide means and a manually tiltable plate lying along saidguide means and extending therefrom toward 'the side of said boardmember, said plate being equipped with means acting to oppose engagementof said detent with said stops and thus to disable the means to arrestsaid projections, whereby said rear and front leg structures may befolded against said board member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,484,768 Van Pelt Oct. 11, 1949 2,661,554 Siczkiewicz et al Dec. 8,1953 2,662,319 Hortman Dec. 15, 1953 2,663,101 Olander Dec. 22, 1953FOREIGN PATENTS 463,799 Canada Mar. 21, 1950

